Cultural Interviews and Assessment Essay Example for Free

Cultural Interviews and Assessment Essay I am interviewing a 32-year-old male (X) from the India who has been a resident of the San Jose in the US state of California since the last 10 years. He is employed as a Software engineer in one of the software MNCs in urban parts of California. Regarding, the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) population in the US, they are one of the fastest growing population in the US. In the year 1999, the population was about 11 million and it is expected to grow to about 20 million by 2020. In 1999, 4 % of the US population was APIA, 12 % Hispanics and 11 % African-Americans. The APIA come from several parts of the world including India, China, Pakistan, Polynesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam, etc. One of the favorite locations in the US, the APIA population would like to settle is in the state of California. The APIA make up for about 12 % of the California population in 1999. They come from various cultural backgrounds and have diverse needs. They are one of the most diverse groups in the US, and it is difficult to fulfill their health problems due to diverse healthcare needs. Let us now go through the entire interview process: Socio-economic factors – Mr. X earns about 45, 000 US dollars every month. He is employed in a software-MNC. None of his other family members are working. He is married and has one child. Although he came to the US in 1997, he brought his family down to the US about a year back. Mr. X feels happy that he is able to earn a good income in the US and is more or less settled. He feels that many of the Indians in the US are earning far less and are belonging to the poverty groups. However, he also feels that the organization he is working in is a small organization and the income provided is less compared to other organizations. Lifestyle – MR. X is not leading a very healthy lifestyle. Earlier as his family was not with him, he used to eat his food in eat-outs and restaurants. Due to this, he is unable to lead a healthy life. However, once his family has come home, he is able to eat a traditional Indian meal and due to this, his nutritional status has improved. He is now able to consume a balanced diet. Mr. X and his family members consume a vegetarian diet. Mr. X smokes about 5 cigarettes a day and consumes about 2 servings of alcohol (especially whisky and rum) on Saturdays and Sundays. He is able to sleep only for about 6 to 7 hours a day. This is due to excessive workload. Although his duty timings are only 8 hours, he puts in an extra 5 hours work at home. During the weekend, he has to work from home at least for 5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. He usually gets together in family meeting and religious ceremonies on Saturdays and Sundays. Family Values – Mr. X has not had much of a family life in the US. This is because his wife and child were staying back in India, as they were unable to come to the US earlier. However, in the last one-year his wife and child have come down to California and are staying with him. His son is an 8-year-old kid, who has just joined a US Elementary school. The child goes to school for about 4 hours in a day, from Monday to Friday. Prior to this one-year, the only members of his family in the US were his cousins, uncles and aunts, who reside about 20 miles from his home. Mr. X feels that in India, family values are given a great amount of importance. Down in India, people stay in a common house with the family members. This is especially seen in villages and small towns. Family meetings are conducted every day and usually food is consumed and prayers are said in a family. During the earlier days when he had just come to the US, Mr. X had stayed with one of his maternal aunt in California. However, as his condition began to improve and his job was settled, he shifted to a separate residence. However, he continues to meet his family members during weekends. Mr. X also makes important decisions after taking the advice of the elders in the family. This is also the case in India, where elders are given a lot of respect and value. In case of any personal problem, he would first call up his uncle, a man of 67 years, and explain his problem to him. Religious preferences – Mr. X belong to a high caste Hindu family in India, and actively practice his religion. During the weekends, he attends for prayers in a temple in California. He usually makes a trip along with family members. He does follow intricate religious practices at home and at his workplace. He consumes a vegetarian diet and would take care especially whilst eating out. During the morning and before starting work, Mr. X chants a few short prayers. This he also does after he finishes work and before going to bed. His wife and child are also religious like him. He accompanies his family members during the weekends for a trip to their local temple. The local temple is about 25 miles away from their home. They also consume a vegetarian diet. In California, the number of vegetarian restaurants and eat-outs are less, due to which he has experienced problems. Health and practices – Mr. X enjoys a good state of health compared to the other APIA’s in the US. It is also important to note that the APIA’s enjoy a much better health status compared to the Whites, African-Americans and the Hispanics. In the year 1999, Mr. X suffered a bout of malaria. He suffered from the illness for about 15 days, and required admission in the Hospital. During his earlier days in the US, Mr. X did not have health insurance. Hence, he had to pay for his hospital bills. In the year 2000, the organization he was working with provided him with health insurance, which helps him to meet with his health expenditure. As Mr. X smokes excessively and due to his work-related habits, he suffers from asthmatic attacks frequently. He uses a small pump that provides Broncho-dilators. He has to consume two puffs twice a day as suggested by the physician. He also follows the advice on food and exercises suggested by the physician. Sometimes during winter months, Mr. X requires hospitalization for difficulty in breathing. This has occurred frequently in the last 4 years. His hospital bill is now covered by health insurance. The physician has repeatedly suggested to give up smoking and to follow better work-related practices, which Mr. X has ignored. The access to health is good, as Mr. X resides in an urban area. He has a hospital providing ultra-modern facilities located about 1 mile from his residence. The hospital also has physicians, specialists and nurses who are from an Indian background. This makes him a special patient at the hospital. He does feel that his physician is able to communicate with him appropriately and understand his health problem. As Mr. X has his family come in newly into the US, they do not have health insurance. However, he plans to subscribe to health insurance for them within the next six months. So far his wife and child did not require hospitalization. However, MR. X frequently takes his son for health checkups and immunizations to the pediatrician. His wife visits a female gynecologist frequently, to ensure that problems with her periods are addressed properly. She does prefer going to an Indian female gynecologist, but is unable to do so as there is a shortage of medical staff from other cultures in the US. Due to problems with financing (uninsured), she is unable to afford seeing an Indian gynecologist from another hospital. MR. X’s physician and pediatrician both belong to the Indian community. Child-bearing/parenting practices – Mr. X has just one son, and he plan to have one more child in the near future. However, he says that during the pregnancy period, he plans to send his wife and son back home to India, as he may be unable to take appropriate care of his wife. As family values are give great importance in India, Mr. X wishes that his son stays with him even after crossing the age of 16 or 18. He wants his soon to mix about with other children in the US, but at the same time follow Indian traditions regarding religion, diet and customs. Other issues – Mr. X and is family members do understand English and do not have any problem communicating with the people in the US. Mr. X may not consider preventive medical care. However, he does visit the local physician frequently to take medical advice and go in for routine checkups. Mr. X feels that more physicians, nurses and specialists from the Indian communities should be available to fulfill the need of the Indians in California. Mr. X also feels that the local government and the Federal government have not addressed several of the problems faced by the APIA communities in the US. This is with regards to health insurance, health access, education, working conditions, immigration status, etc. References: Ro, M. â€Å"Overview of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States and California. † Center for Alternative Policies. 1999. 9 Nov 2007. http://www. communityvoices. org/Uploads/om3gfk55hhzyvrn00n4nerbf_20020828090003. pdf Srinivasa, S. â€Å"Toward Improved Health: Disaggregating Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Data. † American Journal of Public Health 90. 11 (2000): 1731-1734. http://www. ajph. org/cgi/reprint/90/11/1731. pdf

Dioxin :: Essays Papers

Dioxin Out to Help, or Out to Hurt? Imagine yourself building a life in a neighborhood that has everything to offer: A playground for the children, a day care center, an elementary school, a hospital, and friendly people. Everything seems to be perfect until you find out that the hospital, noted for helping people overcome illness and other ailments, is in turn causing some of those health problems. This neighborhood is not so ideal anymore. You begin to ask yourself if there was something you could have done, something you should have known, but you just don't have the answers. You are not alone. Thousands of people are learning about the effects of dioxin in their neighborhoods all the time, and there is something everyone can do about it. For starters, pinpointing the source of the problem is essential. In this case, the dioxin is being emitted into the air, water, and soil by way of a hospital incinerator. However, this is not just an argument for the environment, it is an issue of morality as well. It is up to the people to take action and fight for their right to a clean, safe environment. The Cortland Memorial Hospital incinerator is a major producer of dioxin in the Cortland area, as are all hospital incinerators throughout the world (Gibbs 53). The Environmental Protection agency has estimated that roughly 53 percent of all dioxin is cause by medical waste being burned in the hospital incinerators, and most of this is unnecessary (55). Through much research and investigation, it has been discovered that much of this dioxin is coming from the improper disposal of ALL hospital waste. Pam Jenkins, a previous advocate to stop the amount of dioxin being released into the air by Cortland Hospital, shared some of her information with us about the disposal of the waste after it is generated by the hospital. She informed us that materials and products, which can be sent to the landfill, are in actuality, being burned right in the hospital incinerator. The fact that materials such as hospital bedding, IV bags, food waste, metals, plastics, and other hazardous materials a re being burned in the incinerator is affecting the neighborhoods surrounding the hospital because the smoke carries the toxins and deposits them all over. How is dioxin created in these incinerators, and how does it affect community citizens?

The Ethical Values of the Music Art of the Ancient Greeks: A Semiotic E

The Ethical Values of the Music Art of the Ancient Greeks: A Semiotic Essay ABSTRACT: Humanity requires for its satisfaction Beauty and Good, that is, love, wisdom, and courage. Put differently, the necessity of order, equilibrium, and harmony. These values ground one of the most elevated planes of the spiritual life: music. Its moral force in the education of the mind, soul, and behavior of the human person has been emphasized by the ancient Greek philosophers. This important message exists as a pattern crossing the centuries. I will try to reveal the unity  ¡Ã‚ ¥ethics ¡Ã‚ ¦/ethike -  ¡Ã‚ ¥music ¡Ã‚ ¦/melos by using the semiotic organon. Suggested by the very remarkable interest taken in the music in the works of the ancient Greek philosophers, our attempt ¡Xa semiotic attempt ¡Xwould succeed in getting us closer to the meaning of what is called "the ethos of music" in the civilization of ancient Greeks. The model of semiosis allows us the investigation of the  ¡Ã‚ ¥sign ¡Ã‚ ¦: music, in its structure, in its act and its functionality which means communication and signification. Thus we can identify  ¡Ã‚ ¥the music-sign ¡Ã‚ ¦ through the expression of the sense ¡Xthe sense that "is conceived as an evidence, as the feeling of comprehension, in a very natural way" (1) ¡Xand through the significance. Thus, our guidance implies  ¡Ã‚ ¥sign ¡Ã‚ ¦,  ¡Ã‚ ¥expression ¡Ã‚ ¦,  ¡Ã‚ ¥signification ¡Ã‚ ¦Ã‚ ¡Xthe triad that brings together the coordinates of semiosis; defined, it, by Charles S.Peirce through the cooperation of the sign, its object and its interpretant (2) and by U.Eco: "the process through which the empirical individuals communicate and the processes of communication become possible thanks to the systems of significance" (3). This semiosis is put in evidence by different semio... ...f. Th.Reinach, La musique grecque, Payot, Paris, 1926; C.Sachs, The Rise of Music in the Ancient World, W.W.Norton & Comp. Inc. New York, 1969. (11) Platon, Gorgias, in Opere, vol. I, Ed. Stiintifica si enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 1975. (12) Th.Reinach, op. cit., p. 158. (13) Aristotel, Politica, Ed. Cultura Nationala, Bucuresti, 1924, p. 201. (14) W.Fleming, Arte si idei, Ed.Meridiane, Bucuresti, 1983, vol. I, p. 104. (15) C.Popescu, in vol. II, Partea 2, Filosofia greaca pina la Platon, Ed.Stiintifica si enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 1979, p. 778. (16) Platon, Republica, in Opere, vol.V, Ed.Stiintifica si enciclopedica, Bucuresti, 1986, p. 190. (17) Diogenes Laertios, Despre vietile si doctrinele filosofilor, Ed.Academiei Romane, Bucuresti, 1963. (18) Ch.Morris, Signs, Language and Behaviour, New York, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1946, p. 118.

Belonging in Romulus, My Father and This Is England

Our perception of belonging is shaped by various aspects, one of the most influential of these being the confined expectations of society. As one understands and accepts the socially constructed definition of how an individual may belong, one begins to label themselves under this classification. This awareness causes one to alter and shape their behaviour according to their own perception of whether or not they belong, which in turn is based on society’s standards. It may serve as a process of belonging, or alternatively, as a barrier. This concept is evident in the first scene of the film This is England, as 12-year-old Shaun enters his new school, wearing his fathers’ old denim jeans. He stands helplessly among his classmates, most in ties, hats and uniform jackets. This juxtaposition immediately shows Shaun’s quickly formed perception of how one may belong in this environment, as a fight is initiated caused by his incompatible choice of clothing. His sense of belonging is determined by society’s expectations, and therefore his behaviour is shaped accordingly. Shaun further isolates himself from the society as a result of this, sitting unaccompanied in the playground. This act of cruelty causes Shaun to place blame upon his mother, who brought him from Germany to England, determined to start life afresh after the death of his father. Consequently, this gives rise to the additional seclusion from what was once a place of belonging, his home, and his family. A similar concept is evident in Romulus, My Father, a memoir written by Raimond Gaita. Raimond’s mother Christine experiences a life of rejection from society. In like manner as Shane encountered upon moving to England, Christine held a powerful sense of belonging to her home culture in Germany, and therefore the sudden change in landscape only furthered the isolation that was also influenced by her mental illness. Gaita feels that her psychological incapacity was exacerbated by the unwillingness of the community to accept and help her. He explains the behaviour of society as â€Å"the unattractive side of a conception of value whose other side nourished a distinctively Australian decency. Gaita’s personification of society shows that the extent to which this cruelty has reached is inhumane. â€Å"Such was the division of the human spirit in that part of the world at that time. Like many other sharp divisions, it could not capture the many worthy ways of being human. It nourished some possibilities, maimed others and would not allow some even to see the light of day†¦Ã¢â‚¬  sense of belonging may have aided in the healing of her illness, but paradoxically it was her illness that meant she would never experience a sense of acceptance. Society’s expectations formed Christine’s latest perception of belonging, in turn shaping her behaviour. The community in which she lived held a strong belief in ‘character’ as a defining quality through which individuals show they have the right ‘fit’ to society. â€Å"Tom Lillie and others disliked my mother partly because they saw her engaging vivacity as a dangerously seductive manifestation of personality in a woman they believed to be lacking entirely in character – a ‘characterless woman’. † In its historical and cultural context, women of rural Victoria in the 1950s were expected to hold a conservative nature. Perhaps that is why women at that time and in that place were especially vulnerable to the deadening attractions of middle-class respectability. † The negative connotations attached to the word ‘deadening’ reflects Gaita’s attitude to such restrictions, expressing through emphatic language his understanding of those who are not immediate conformists to the expectations that society has created. The community is repelled by her inability to care for Raimond, her promiscuity and her obsession with appearance over responsibilities. Christine’s understanding that she may never belong in a society that holds such defined expectations of women shapes her behaviour in that she pushes herself further away from the community, all the while influencing her to attempt to regain a connection with her family. This is England also emphasizes the dominant ideology of its era. White nationalism and patriotism were seen as the norm, and the movement against immigrants was extreme due to the area the film was set in, a low class area, where unemployment records were extremely high. The entire film displays each scene very black and white, as a representation of the reality of the issues in its context. Towards the end of the movie, Combo and Shaun decide to raid a shop with a Pakistani shop-keeper. As Combo leaves the store, he threatens the shop-keeper, bellowing, â€Å"this is our little Shandy, and we’ll come ‘ere anytime we like†. A close-up of the shaken shopkeeper, who does not retaliate to Combo’s words, shows that white people were accepted as being superior to colours. Shaun’s involvement portrays his acceptance of the values and customs that being a skinhead require, and his alteration of his behaviour upon adhering to these expectations in order to belong. The final scene of the film shows Shaun wandering along the beach, carrying a British flag. He pauses and throws the flag out to sea, a symbol of the knowledge he has gained and what has come from his experiences. Shaun is seen at the same location in the beginning of the film, this device being used as a sound and visual metaphor that symbolises the issues and his understanding of belonging have very much changed over time.

How To Build Your Spanish Vocabulary

How To Build Your Spanish Vocabulary A big part of learning any foreign language is learning the vocabulary - the collection of words used by those who speak the language. Fortunately for English speakers learning Spanish, there is a large overlap in the vocabulary. Thats because Spanish is a direct descendant of Latin while English received an infusion of Latin-derived vocabulary in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of 1066. Word Similarities The overlap gives English speakers a head start in learning Spanish vocabulary. A linguist would say the two language have an abundance of cognates, words that are similar and have a common origin. But that head start comes with a price: Meanings of words change over time, and English and Spanish havent always changed in the same way. So some words, known as false friends, look like they might mean the same thing in the corresponding word of the other language. For example, something that is actual in Spanish is something thats current or happening now rather than something that isnt imaginary. And some words, ones I (but hardly anybody else) call fickle friends, correspond frequently but not so often enough that their meanings need to be learned. Arena in Spanish can refer to a sports arena, for example, but it more often refers to sand. Expanding on What You Know How many words do you need to be proficient in Spanish? Thats an open question because the answer depends on what you want to do with the language. That task of learning thousands of words may sound daunting. But there are ways you can make the task easier. One way is to take advantage of the many prefixes and suffixes, word beginnings and endings you can use. Many of the prefixes will seem familiar, because most come from Latin. Thats not as common with the suffixes. Two of the main kinds are augmentative suffixes, which can add a negative connotation to a word or refer to something thats particularly large, and diminutive suffixes, which can refer to things that are small or that are especially desirable. Memorization Memorization is seldom the most fun way to learn words, but many students benefit from it. Here are some of the word lists we provide as an aid: Top 100 Spanish words you need to knowSpanish for air travelersArabic words in SpanishSpanish arithmetic termsSpanish at the beachWords for everyday things around the homeComputer and Internet termsBody parts in SpanishCompound words in SpanishConfusing Spanish verb pairs: ser and estar, saber and conocer, othersEnglish words borrowed from SpanishGeography in Spanish: City names, definite articles with country names, nationalitiesSpanish lodging vocabularySpanish love wordsCommon and not-so-common vegetablesAlternatives for muySpanish names for occupationsSpanish names of petsSpanish astronomical termsSpanish names for relativesSpanish for ThanksgivingShopping in Spanish and Spanish names for storesSpanish units of timeSeasons in SpanishSpanish weather termsSpanish war and military termsSpanish words for whatSpanish words for snowWinter sports in SpanishU.S.-style football termsBasketball glossarySpanish at the zooWords for celebrating Halloween We also have lessons on use of particular words. Many of these lessons include comments on the words etymology, or word history. AlfabetoClaroDerecho and derechaGraciaGringoHuracnMejor and peorNoSanto For Fun It may not always be practical, but sometimes its fun to learn words just for the sake of learning them: Crossword puzzles in SpanishWhat is the longest word in Spanish? Ways to Make These Words Yours Over the years, numerous  readers of this site have offered their advice for incorporating the words into the Spanish that you can use everyday. The simple fact, though, is that what works well for one person doesnt work for everyone, as we all have our own learning styles. You might consider some of these methods, however, to see of one of them clicks for you: Make sticky notes with names of objects and place them on the things you want to be able to talk about. You cant do this everywhere, of course, but if you do this your home you can track your progress by removing the notes for words you have already learned.Create three-by-five-inch cards with vocabulary words on one side and definitions on the other. And random times during the day, compose sentences using the words.Use social media to find Spanish speakers learning English and you can help each other.

Ozone Layer and Its Problems essays

Ozone Layer and Its Problems essays Some of the worlds brightest scientists have come up with the theory, that the human race is slowly depleting the ozone layer. By depleting the ozone layer the planet becomes warmer. Ozone depletion has been one of the most discussed issues in the past twenty years, when it comes to the environment. Many of the theories today say that if ozone depletion continues the planet will become warmer and the polar ice cap will melt. Anywhere from five to twenty-five miles above the earth is a protective blanket of gases know as the atmosphere. This atmosphere helps to hold in the air that we breathe and to protect the earth from the full effect of the suns ultraviolet rays (Emmel 22). The upper part of the atmosphere is called the stratosphere; this is where the ozone layer is located. The ozone layer is the main tool for filtering out most of the suns ultraviolet rays and only makes up one-millionth of the atmosphere. The ozone layer has one of the most important jobs in entire atmosphere. Its job is to absorb, reflect, or get rid of as many ultraviolet rays possible. Even with all of this some of the UV rays still get passed the ozone layer. But, because of the ozone layer there are not enough UV rays to hurt the earth. If not for the ozone layer life is it is today would not be possible. About thirty or forty years ago scientists noticed the beginnings of a small hole. In the last thirty year the hole has become bigger each and every year. Now the hole is as big as the United States and is sitting over Antarctica (Biggs 8). Special measuring devices show that the ozone layer is letting in twice as many UV rays as normal. In these last thirty year scientists believe the ozone layer has been depleted by two percent (Erratic 2). Many scientists have voices that extra radiation getting through to the earths surface may lead to problems further down the line. Scientists suggest th ...

Free Essays on Lord Of The Flies Good Vs. Evil

Lord of the Flies: The Evil Within The novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, used a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. Lord of the Flies deals with the changes the boys undergo as they gradually adapt to the freedom from society. William Golding’s basic philosophy is that man is inherently evil. He also expresses how symbolism and irony in such instances as the death of Simon, the beast within the boys, and the way Ralph was fervently hunted. Golding conveys symbolism as a valued technique throughout the chapters. One of the major key points of symbolism is the death of Simon. This corresponds to the loss of religious reasoning. Simon is mistaken as â€Å"the beast† and beaten to death. Jack’s tribe vigorously chants, â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!† (152). Here, Simon had crawled out of the forest and the ring had opened to let him inside. As the boys killed Simon, they let out their savage urges and acted in a cannibalistic manner. Even after the death of Simon, Jack and his tribe did not feel any remorse to what they had done; killing to them had become second nature. â€Å"Only the beast lay still, a few yards from the sea† (153). After finally realizing that the supposed â€Å"beast† is actually Simon, a sudden storm arises and the group disbands for shelter. The storm subsided and the tides moved in and out, Simon’s body was washed out to sea. In this novel, society is communicated as symbolic and even ironic. One example referring to Golding’s view of society is the beast. The beast which lay within the boys represents the evil that dwells inside humanity. He believes that savagery is always in mankind, but need the proper situation to come out and cause a transformation of even the most innocent of us. For the boys the fear of the unknown on the island causes the terror of the beast. This ironic fear is a... Free Essays on Lord Of The Flies Good Vs. Evil Free Essays on Lord Of The Flies Good Vs. Evil Lord of the Flies: The Evil Within The novel Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, used a group of British boys beached on a deserted island to illustrate the malicious nature in mankind. Lord of the Flies deals with the changes the boys undergo as they gradually adapt to the freedom from society. William Golding’s basic philosophy is that man is inherently evil. He also expresses how symbolism and irony in such instances as the death of Simon, the beast within the boys, and the way Ralph was fervently hunted. Golding conveys symbolism as a valued technique throughout the chapters. One of the major key points of symbolism is the death of Simon. This corresponds to the loss of religious reasoning. Simon is mistaken as â€Å"the beast† and beaten to death. Jack’s tribe vigorously chants, â€Å"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!† (152). Here, Simon had crawled out of the forest and the ring had opened to let him inside. As the boys killed Simon, they let out their savage urges and acted in a cannibalistic manner. Even after the death of Simon, Jack and his tribe did not feel any remorse to what they had done; killing to them had become second nature. â€Å"Only the beast lay still, a few yards from the sea† (153). After finally realizing that the supposed â€Å"beast† is actually Simon, a sudden storm arises and the group disbands for shelter. The storm subsided and the tides moved in and out, Simon’s body was washed out to sea. In this novel, society is communicated as symbolic and even ironic. One example referring to Golding’s view of society is the beast. The beast which lay within the boys represents the evil that dwells inside humanity. He believes that savagery is always in mankind, but need the proper situation to come out and cause a transformation of even the most innocent of us. For the boys the fear of the unknown on the island causes the terror of the beast. This ironic fear is a...